Believing
by TashaTBHx
Summary: Set at the end of season one, what I'd like to think would happen if the Mountain Men didn't take the forty-seven. Flarke fluff. O/S.


The door of the drop ship slowly lowered to reveal the burnt and ash covered woods. Spears, swords, and skeletons littered the ground in front of them. Clarke's eyes wondered around, surveying the damage.

She slowly walked down the ramp and cautiously stepped off, eventually followed by the surviving members of the original hundred.

_So many bodies,_ Clarke thought as she walked, disturbing ash every step. She came to a stop in front of two skeletons, laying side by side. She felt her heartbreak as she looked at them. She'd lost him.

"Clarke," Jasper gently whispered, as he laid a hand on her shoulder.

Clarke crumpled to her knees, crippled by the pain in her chest. Unable to hold them in, tears fell rapidly down her face, and landed in the ash below.

She'd lost him.

Jasper knelt beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She let herself fall into his comforting embrace and grieve for her lost love.

After a few moments, Clarke composed herself, gave Jasper's arm a thankful squeeze, and rose to her feet. She knew everyone would be looking to her for guidance.

She turned around to see their confused and lost expressions. She counted forty-eight, including Raven who was still inside the drop ship.

Fifty-two dead, and roughly three hundred Grounders. She was almost too stunned to speak, but she knew what had to be done now.

"Okay, guys, I need you all to split into groups," Clarke ordered, thinking rationally. "First group, gather all weapons. Second, I need you to clear away most of the debris; it won't be an easy task. Third, we're gonna need some food, just be on your guard. And one last group to search for survivors; we all watched the Ark come down last night, we need to get there before others. We have 3 walkies left, I'll have one. Jasper, you will take another, and lead the search party. And Miller, you lead the hunting party. Be back before dark."

"Clarke, we lost a lot of people last night," Jasper started.

"I am aware of that," she snapped, instantly feeling guilty after she saw the hurt look flash across his face. "We lost a lot of people last night, but we survived. We are strong and we are still here, this is still our home. And now we have the chance for our families to join us. I'm sorry, guys, but this needs to be done. We can grieve later."

He stumbled along, beaten, bruised and exhausted. He escaped the fire, but he couldn't escape the Grounder. A Grounder who had been partially burnt and lost countless of his people. A Grounder who was not in a forgiving mood, as shown by the rope wrapped tightly around his wrists, with the other end tided to his horse.

He knew he was being led towards his death, but he couldn't stop thinking about Clarke. The way the sun lit up her golden hair, the way her smile made him melt inside, the way she stood up, so passionately, for what she believed in. The way her voice broke when she told him she couldn't lose him. The last time their eyes connected, there was so much pain in hers. He wanted nothing more to make it back to her, to ease the pain for them both.

Suddenly he was pulled back to reality by a cry. Bellamy appeared on the path ahead, and launched a spear towards the Grounder, Tristan, and missed.

"Bellamy, run!" Finn shouted and was promptly pulled off of his feet.

Bellamy stayed where he was, as Tristan raced towards him, dragging Finn along the ground. He pulled out his weapon and knocked Bellamy onto his back. He jumped off of his horse, prepared to kill Bellamy, when two others ran out of the undergrowth. He turned towards Sterling and Monroe, preparing to kill, as they charged at him.

And then the sound of a gunshot rang out through the woods. Tristan fell to his knees, as the four Sky People stared in shock. Another gunshot, the bullet of which hit Tristan in the head. It was done, he was dead.

Finn's eyes searched the trees for the source, and watched as Marcus Kane appeared, followed by other members of the Ark, including Dr Griffin. They all breathed a sigh of relief, they were no longer alone on Earth.

Abby hurried over to them to check their injuries.

"Where's Clarke?" she asked. "Is she okay?"

"She was when we left," Finn responded. "We'll take you to her."

"Clarke," Raven croaked, before she was overwhelmed by a bloody coughing fit.

Clarke, quickly and carefully, rolled her onto her side, so she wouldn't choke. She gently mopped her pale face with a damp cloth, and stroked the hair out of her face.

"Clarke," she tried again. "I'm not gonna make it, am I?"

"Hey," Clarke softly muttered. "Don't think like that. Jasper and the others will bring back supplies, and maybe a doctor."

"But what if they don't?" Her voice cracked with fear.

"I won't let you die, Raven," Clarke promised. _Enough people have died because of me._ "Now, get some rest, okay?"

As Raven drifted off to sleep, Clarke heard a commotion outside.

She walked out of the drop ship to see none other than Murphy, covered in his own blood.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?!" she demanded, disappointed it wasn't someone else.

"Where else was I meant to go?" he replied, in his usual sarcastic tone.

"Anywhere, but here. Raven is inside that dropship, bleeding internally and possibly paralysed, because of you! If she dies, so do you," she warned, and then promptly turned around and headed back inside, uncaring for his potentially life threatening injuries.

She hadn't made it inside before she heard a familiar voice call her name. Her heart pounded as she turned around

"Mom?" she muttered, as she slowly walked over to the woman who raised her and taught her most of what she knew. "I saw your ship crash." Her voice filled with confusion yet relief.

"I wasn't on the ship," Abby replied, as she wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"I'm so glad you're here," Clarke said, suddenly remembering she was the reason Raven was one the ground. "Raven! Raven got shot, the bullet's pressing against her spine, and I don't know what to do. Can you help her?"

"I'll see what I can do," she said, feeling so proud of who she had become. She saw a strong, independent leader, who looked after her people and who people looked toward. "Finn has been filling us in about your time here, he seems quite fond of you. I'm so proud of you sweetheart."

"Finn?" Clarke whispered, a whisper filled with pain and hope.

She pulled away from her mother's embrace, as her eyes wondered around the camp and the people who had recently arrived. The Guard, Kane, Bellamy and Finn. Her eyes met Finn's, and the rest of the world faded away.

"Hey, Princess."

Before she knew what was happening, she ran towards him, and threw herself into his strong arms. He didn't hesitate in catching her. She buried her head in his chest, as he held her close, breathing in her scent.

"I thought you were dead," she cried, her voice breaking. "I thought you were dead!"

"Hey, it's okay, I'm here now," he whispered, gently stroking her hair. "I told you, you wouldn't lose me."

She pulled back ever so slightly, and stared into his warm brown eyes. She soaked in every detail of him. The way his shaggy hair framed, yet slightly covered his face. The way his small smile made her heart fluttered. The way his hand gently rested on her cheek. She leaned into his touch, overcome with relief.

"I love you, Clarke," he whispered for just her to hear.

"I love you too." Her voice was filled with tears, which fell down her face as his lips met hers.


End file.
